Radom: The story behind the Cubs' nightmare-inducing bear mascot in 1908

From SABR member Todd Radom at ToddRadom.com on February 28, 2018:

Behold this image, for once you have seen it you will not soon forget it. It has made the rounds before, and was most recently catapulted into the public imagination during the Chicago Cubs' historic run to the 2016 World Series championship. Deadspin has described the character at center as a "terrifying squirrelbeast." Sports Illustrated wrote that it would "haunt your nightmares." And, while all of that might well be true, the designation of this as a depiction of the 1908 Cubs and their "mascot" is most assuredly not so.

I knew that there had to be a story behind this memorable image, so I did a deep dive into the research pool, and what I found was both fun and interesting.